What is intervision?
The intervision method is a form of peer learning that helps create a safe and reflective space amongst teams to tackle a common challenge or problem.
You’re basically learning from your colleagues.
We could call intervision a form of reflective group supervision. The difference between supervision and intervision lies in the hierarchy and the level of exchange between professionals. Supervision consists of training others and seeing them and their work from above. Intervision, on the other hand, is learning from others and seeing them and their work from within, together and mutually. Terms such as peer learning, peer assistance, group supervision, etc. are also used to refer to intervision. This activity is usually performed by four to six people.
Using intervision develops a learning culture in the organisation.
Principles
Intervision is a peer-led method that doesn’t require an outside expert. All participants are employees, on the same level, and participate in sessions that aim towards helping each other understand and solve a problem. At the end of every intervision, participants find new and helpful ways of addressing an issue in the work context or space.
Benefits of intervision
Our loopers have found immense value in our bi-weekly intervision sessions. These gatherings provide a platform for them to present new challenges and discuss a variety of topics. Topics range from refining objectives and selecting effective problem-solving techniques to enhancing user testing methods and optimizing data collection strategies. Each session, lasting 60 minutes, is dedicated to presenting a challenge and collaboratively brainstorming solutions. The aim is to leave each session with a clearer understanding of the issue at hand, along with one or two actionable recommendations.
Intervision serves as a powerful tool for our loopers, offering them the opportunity to receive direct feedback from their peers. This collaborative approach not only aids in achieving their objectives but also ensures that the solutions are customized to meet their specific needs. As a result, they are able to seamlessly integrate these insights into their daily work, significantly enhancing their problem-solving capabilities.
Other benefits include:
- Solve real problems within your product and business
- Leverage each team member’s diverse background to facilitate out of the box thinking
- Gain access to a multitude of perspectives and go off the beaten track
- Develop active listening skills, humility, resilience and empathy
- Create a stronger sense of belonging within your organisation
- Grown and refine your product department’s maturity and processes
How does it work?